Machine for Collecting and Pressing an Agricultural Harvest

ABSTRACT

A machine for collecting and pressing a crop to roll-shaped bales has a crop collecting device and a bale-forming device defining a winding chamber arranged downstream of the crop collecting device. At least a first and a second stationary deflection devices are provided, wherein the bale-forming device is guided about the first and second stationary deflection devices. Stationary guides are positioned between the first and second stationary deflection guides. The bale-forming device, during a first bale-forming phase, travels along a spatially determined movement path and is supported on the stationary guides. The bale-forming device is lifted off the stationary guides during a second bale-forming phase. For compressing a bale to be formed after reaching a preset bale diameter, the bale-forming device exerts on the bale to be formed in a compression phase a compression force in a direction from the exterior to the interior of the bale.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a machine for collecting and pressing anagricultural harvest or crop, for example, grass, hay, straw or thelike, to roll-shaped bales. The machine comprises a winding chamber thatis transportable on a chassis and can be opened, wherein the windingchamber has a bale-forming device arranged downstream of the cropcollecting device and guided across at least a first and a secondstationary deflection devices. During a bale-forming phase, thebale-forming device travels within the winding chamber along a spatiallydetermined movement path on guides. For compressing the bale to beformed after reaching a certain bale diameter, the bale-forming deviceexerts on the bale a compression force in a direction from the exteriorto the interior.

In customary configurations, machines of the aforementioned kind forcollecting and pressing an agricultural harvest or crop are designed asround balers having a fixed chamber configuration; they have abale-forming device that during the entire bale-forming phase travelsalong a spatially determined movement path and, for this purpose, isguided on guides provided on the housing. With such machines, bales of acertain bale diameter can be formed in that harvested material issupplied by means of a crop collecting device to the bale formingchamber and, after filling of the provided bale forming chamber, thebale forming device exerts a compression force in a direction from theexterior to the interior onto the bale to be formed so that thiscompression phase is carried out subsequent to the preceding crop supplyphase and the bale forming phase. With such machines, bales can beformed that, as a result of the bale compression phase provided at theend of the bale forming phase, have a relatively hard external diameterarea while they have at the same time a relatively soft bale core. Thiscan have advantages for a subsequent processing of the bale in that therelatively soft bale core can be divided with simple means and alsowithout great force expenditure.

Moreover, it is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,549,480, todesign machines for collecting and pressing an agricultural harvest asbaling presses with a variable size of the winding chamber; in suchdevices, starting with the initial bale-forming phase, the bale to beformed is guided constantly on the bale-forming device by means of aspatially variably moved bale-forming device so that the bale-formingdevice, even during the entire filling process of the variable windingchamber, exerts a force onto the bale and a subsequent compression phaseis thus not needed. Because compression of the bale is carried outcontinuously, the bales are ejected at a desired diameter range of thebale in a finished state from the bale-forming chamber; it is thereforepossible to produce bales with different diameters and thus withdifferent sizes.

A bale that has been produced on such a variable machine differs howeverwith regard to its configuration, for example, with regard to thestiffness of the bale core, from a bale that has been produced on amachine that operates in accordance with the fixed chamber principle. Abale that has been produced on such a variable machine is thereforedifferent with regard to its break-up properties from a bale that hasbeen produced on a fixed chamber machine. A disadvantage of machinesthat operate according to the variable bale-forming principle ismoreover the high technical expenditure in the form of the constructivemeans that enable the variability of the bale size and the permanentforce action. Moreover, with such machines it is not possible to formbales that have a relatively soft bale core.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a machine of theaforementioned kind that has a constructively simple bale-forming devicebut enables at the same time forming of bales of different sizes.

This is achieved in that the machine of the aforementioned kind forcollecting and pressing an agricultural harvest or crop is characterizedin accordance with the present invention in that the bale-forming devicealong its spatially determined movement path during a first bale-formingphase is supported on stationary guides positioned between the first andthe second deflection devices, wherein the bale-forming device can belifted off the stationary guides during a subsequent (second)bale-forming phase.

In this way, a machine for collecting and pressing an agriculturalharvest or crop is provided in which during the first bale-forming phasethe collected harvest can be filled first into the winding chamber whilethe bale-forming device still moves along a spatially determinedmovement path and accordingly does not yet exert a compression forceonto the filled-in harvest. However, the machine is provided with theconstructive prerequisites such that, with increasing quantity offilled-in harvest, the bale-forming device can be lifted off thestationary guides and can be transferred onto movement paths that enableforming of a bale that is greater in comparison to the spatiallydetermined movement path. This can be realized in an adjustable way but,for example, also by means of the bale to be formed itself in that thebale to be formed contacts the bale-forming device and, with increasingbale diameter, the bale-forming device is lifted off the guides of thespatially determined movement path.

All this can be realized with simple constructive and design means.During the lifting phase, it is no longer required that a sidewall ofthe housing provides a lateral guiding action so as to additionallydelimit the bale. Instead, it is also possible to provide by means of astep at the housing that widens the housing outwardly the constructiveprerequisites to make available free space above the step; thebale-forming device, after having been lifting off the guides of thestationary or spatially determined movement path, can be moved into thisfree space above the step at the housing. In this way, in this area alateral spacing is provided relative to an upper housing sidewall thatadjoins the step. The bale-forming device preferably travels acrossdeflection rollers that are stationarily mounted in the step area of thehousing wall.

By means of such a machine, conditions are provided that allow themachine to operate like one with a fixed chamber known in the art inthat by means of the crop collecting device the crop is introducedrelatively loosely into the bale-forming chamber without the crop beingsubjected already to a force essential for a compression phase by thebale-forming device. During this phase, the bale-forming device, in away analog to a fixed chamber machine, travels along a spatiallydetermined movement path that is defined constructively by the machine.When doing so, a polygon effect occurs with regard to pre-compression ofthe harvested material in that during this first bale-forming phase theharvested material is pre-compressed in a pulsating fashion. This can befavorably affected by a polygonal chamber for starting the bale. Onlyafter reaching a bale size that causes the bale to come into contactwith the bale-forming device, a further bale-forming phase can follow inwhich the bale to be formed will rest at all times against thebale-forming device. During this second bale-forming phase that occurssubsequent to the first bale-forming phase, the bale-forming devicetravels along changing movement paths that change in accordance with thegrowing bale size up to an area that is preselected by the operator andpredetermined by control means. The preselected area thereforedetermines also the bale diameter of the bale to be formed. When thisbale diameter is reached, as in fixed chamber machines, the compressionof the outer bale diameter area is carried out in that the balecompression phase is initiated and, accordingly, a bale is to be formedthat, for a preset bale diameter, has a relatively soft bale core and arelatively strongly compressed exterior skin.

All of this can be accomplished with constructively relatively simplemeans so that a machine is made available that, with regard to itsfunctional principle, is a fixed chamber machine but is not limited to aparticular bale size. Accordingly, with such a machine bales can beformed having, for example, a size of 100 to 150 cm in diameter. In thisconnection, the smaller diameter range can be also achieved, forexample, in that the additional bale-forming phase with the additionalmovement paths of the bale-forming device is no longer reached but thecontrol means ensure as a result of the selected position that directlyafter completion of the first bale-forming phase already the compressionphase is carried out. The operator of the machine can therefore use themachine according to the invention also purely as a fixed chambermachine and produce customary bales. Moreover, with simple andoperator-friendly means, the operator can also produce, as needed,larger bales wherein for this selected bale-forming process theadditional bale-forming phase follows the first bale-forming phasebefore the compression phase is carried out.

Preferably, the adjusting or control means are stops, limiting elementsand the like wherein a limiting element or an abutment can be attachedto the housing and another stop element, for example, can be madeadjustable in order to realize the selectable diameter range.Alternatively, it is also feasible to provide pneumatic or hydrauliccontrol means with appropriate blocked adjusted positions in order toconfigure the corresponding stops or abutments with an end position thatis adjustable in a simple way. In an especially preferred embodiment ofthe machine according to the invention, several stationary deflectiondevices can be provided. Preferably, between a first deflection deviceand a second defection device in the housing of the machine additionalstationary sidewall guides are provided in a lateral hosing area that isexpediently vertically designed. This can be realized in that thesesidewall sections initially delimit the bale-forming chamber and widenbeginning at a certain height and thus have a step that widens thesidewalls laterally to the exterior of the machine. In this area,additional guide rollers can be stationarily supported on which thebale-forming device will be guided for securing a certain movement pathwithin the machine. By the widened section above the guides an evasionspace for the bale-forming device is provided so that an evasivemovement of the bale-forming device into this space is possible when theadditional movement paths of the bale-forming device are to be enabledafter reaching or completing the first bale-forming phase. By means ofthe provided deflection rollers and by means of belts that arepreferably provided and are components of the bale-forming device, theoperating noise of the bale-forming device is extremely reduced incomparison to conventional machines.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Further advantages and configurations of the invention result from thedependent claims, the following description and the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic section side view of a machine with illustrationof one position of the bale-forming device during the first bale-formingphase.

FIG. 2 is an illustration analog to FIG. 1 illustrating the bale-formingdevice in the end position, i.e., in the compression phase.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective illustration of the bale-formingdevice that in the illustrated embodiment is guided about deflectionrollers and a step at the sidewalls of the housing of the machine and isprovided with lateral belts as well as rods (crossbars).

FIG. 4 is a section illustration in the belt and crossbar area of thebale-forming device and of a stationary deflection roller in the steppedhousing section illustrated in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a schematic section view of the bale-forming device in theposition according to FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a schematic section view of the bale-forming device in theposition of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 shows schematically an additional hydraulic pump for opening thewinding chamber of the machine.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The drawings show in a few illustrations one side of the machine withthe parts provided thereat. It is understood that these parts arepresent or may be present also on the other machine side that is notillustrated.

The machine 1 in the illustrated embodiment is a round bale press andhas a bale-forming device 2 that forms a winding chamber 3. This windingchamber 3 has an intake opening 4 through which the harvested materialor crop collected by the crop collecting device 6, for example, hay andsilage, is introduced into the winding chamber 3. The drive rollers 7divide the bale-forming device 2 into a load run and a return run 9. Therollers 11 (conveying elements) of the collecting device that arearranged above and below the opening 4 delimit the winding chamber 3.

In addition, a first stationary deflection device in the form ofdeflection rollers 16 as well as a second deflection device in the formof deflection rollers 7 are provided, wherein the deflection rollers 7are the drive rollers for the bale-forming device 2. In addition, in theillustrated embodiment there are stationarily supported additionaldeflection rollers 12 that are arranged on a step 12.1 of the sidewallsections 12.2, 12.3 (FIGS. 3 and 4) of the housing of the machine.

In this area, the housing is therefore widened so that above the guiderollers 12 and the end areas of the rods or crossbars 2.2 and the belts2.1 for the bale-forming device 2, an empty space is provided into whichthe bale-forming device 2 can be deflected (upwardly in the illustrationaccording to FIG. 4).

The bale-forming device 2 also has an area that is generally referred toas storage 14 and is supported by a yielding deflection roller 18supported on a tensioning arm 19. A spring 13 forming a force storagedevice engages the tensioning arm 19. Accordingly, the bale-formingdevice 2 can be deflected in this area. When the winding chamber 3 isbeing filled, an outwardly oriented pressure is exerted onto the loadrun 8 and the spring 13 is compressed. In this way, the length of thebale-forming device 2 between the deflection rollers 18 and 21 ischanged. The growth of the crop bale goes hand in hand with anenlargement of the winding chamber 3. In this way, it is ensured that insuch a bale-forming phase, following the first bale-forming phasecarried out with a spatially determined movement path of thebale-forming device, no significant pressing force or compression forcefrom the exterior to the interior is exerted onto the growing bale to beformed before carrying out the subsequent compression phase.

In operation, harvested material or crop is introduced by the cropcollecting device 6 into the winding chamber 3 through an intake opening4. At the beginning of this bale-forming process, a bale-startingchamber is formed that is delimited by the bale-forming device 2 so asto have a polygonal shape with an upwardly slanted area, a substantiallyvertical area, and an adjoining area that is also upwardly slanted; thisis shown in more detail in FIG. 5. In this way, the bale-startingprocess is facilitated. During this bale-starting process and alsoduring a defined first bale-forming phase, the bale-forming device 2 isin the position illustrated in FIG. 5 and describes therefore themovement path illustrated therein that remains the same and is thusspatially determined. In this connection, the bale-forming device 2 isguided across the first and second deflection rollers 7 and 16 and thearea facing the bale to be formed is guided across the stationaryrollers 12 and on the step 12.1 of the sidewall sections 12.2, 12.3forming sidewall guides. Once the harvested material has filled theinitial winding chamber, the bale-forming device 2 can expand by meansof its load run 8, wherein, by means of compression of the spring 13 andthe yielding of the deflection roller 18 the movement path of thebale-forming device 2 will adjust to the increasing bale size duringthis subsequent (second) bale-forming phase so that, during thissubsequent bale-forming phase, movement phases that are independent ofthe guide rollers 12 and determined by the diameter of the bale to beformed will result up to the point of reaching the adjustable balediameter. The outermost movement path that can be achieved with theillustrated embodiment of the machine according to the invention isillustrated in FIG. 2 and in FIG. 6.

The bale to be formed can therefore have a diameter that is variablyadjustable between the positions that are variable as needed by thepositions of the load run 8 of the bale-forming device 2 (illustrated inFIG. 2). As a result of the yielding support of the deflection roller18, an excellent contact between the bale-forming device 2 and the cropis present during the further bale-forming phase; however, a significantpressing force is avoided. In this way, the desired goal of being ableto provide a relatively loose bale core is realized.

An adjustable limiting device 22 for presetting a diameter of the cropbale is embodied in the illustrated embodiment as a stop member 23 thatis movable relative to the tensioning arm 19 and engages an abutment 24secured on the housing. Depending on the relative position of the stopmember 23 to the tensioning arm 19, i.e., depending on the angle that isadjusted between the longitudinal axis of the tensioning arm 19 and thelongitudinal axis of the stop member 23, one of the receptacles 27 ofthe stop member 23 engages the abutment 24 and limits thus the effectivelength of the bale-forming device 2 that is made available by thestorage 14 for enlarging the winding chamber 3. In this way, a verysimple device for presetting the diameter of the crop bale is provided.In addition, measuring devices or elements can be provided in order tomonitor bale parameters, for example, the compression level of the baleor the pressing force that is being applied.

Advantageously, the deflection roller 18 belonging to the storage 14 isarranged in the travel direction before the rear end of the machine andbehind the center of the crop bale being formed. In this way, themachine is of a compact configuration. The force loading of thetensioning arm 19 by the force storage device embodied in the form ofthe spring 13 is thus approximately at a right angle relative to thetensioning arm 19; this provides favorable leverage and also anexcellent transfer of the applied forces. Moreover, the spring 13engages the tensioning arm 19 in the vicinity of the deflection roller18 and therefore in an area in which those forces act that are exertedby the bale-forming device 2 onto the tensioning arm 19. The same holdstrue also for the stop member 23 that is pivotable about the axis ofrotation 26 of the deflection roller 18. The forces that are transmittedfrom the bale-forming device 2 onto the deflection roller 18 are guidedthrough the stop member 23 and the abutment 24 as well as the tensioningarm 19 directly into the housing; this ensures an especially stablesupport. Accordingly, a pressing force is exerted that avoids additionalbending moments in the tensioning arm 19. In this way, a prerequisite isprovided for designing important parts of the machine in aweight-reduced and material-saving way.

FIG. 7 shows an embodiment in which, in accordance with an alternativedrive solution, it is possible to keep operative, in the case of a driveoverload, the machine 1 for taking up (collecting) and pressing anagricultural harvest (harvested material or crop) that is provided withan onboard hydraulic pump 34. By means of a drive belt pulley that ismounted on the exterior housing of an overload protection device 25 andthat continues to rotate in an overload situation, the hydraulic pump 34is continued to be supplied with mechanical drive energy even in anoverload situation.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown anddescribed in detail to illustrate the inventive principles, it will beunderstood that the invention may be embodied otherwise withoutdeparting from such principles.

1. A machine for collecting and pressing a crop to roll-shaped bales,the machine comprising: a crop collecting device; a bale-forming devicedefining a winding chamber that is arranged downstream of the cropcollecting device and adapted to be opened; wherein the bale-formingdevice is adapted to be transported on a chassis; at least a first and asecond stationary deflection devices, wherein the bale-forming device isguided about the at least first and second stationary deflectiondevices; stationary guides positioned between the first and secondstationary deflection devices; wherein the bale-forming device, during afirst bale-forming phase travels along a spatially determined movementpath and is supported on the stationary guides; wherein the bale-formingdevice is lifted off the stationary guides during a second bale-formingphase; and wherein, for compressing a bale to be formed after reaching apreset bale diameter, the bale-forming device exerts on the bale to beformed in a compression phase a compression force in a direction fromthe exterior to the interior of the bale to be formed.
 2. The machineaccording to claim 1, wherein the bale-forming device during the secondbale-forming phase is lifted off the stationary guides as a function ofthe bale diameter of the bale to be formed.
 3. The machine according toclaim 1, wherein the stationary guides are stationarily mounted onsidewalls of the machine.
 4. The machine according to claim 3, whereinthe sidewalls have first sidewall sections that laterally secure thebale to be formed during the first bale-forming phase and have secondsidewall sections that are spaced from the bale to be formed during thesecond bale-forming phase.
 5. The machine according to claim 3, whereinthe sidewalls have an inwardly projecting step forming a support for thestationary guides and wherein inwardly positioned sidewalls sections ofthe sidewalls provide a lateral guiding action for the bale to be formedduring the first bale-forming phase.
 6. The machine according to claim5, wherein the stationary guides are deflection rollers stationarilysupported on the step.
 7. The machine according to claim 1, wherein thebale-forming device is adapted to be transferred from a first spatiallydetermined movement path during the first bale-forming phase toadditional movement paths during the second bale-forming phase up to afinal movement path matching a preset adjustable diameter of the bale tobe formed, wherein the additional movement paths are independent of thestationary guides and are determined by the diameter of the bale to beformed, and wherein the adjustable diameter is adjusted by moveablecontrol means and, after reaching the preset adjustable diameter, thecompression force is applied by the bale-forming device to the bale tobe formed.
 8. The machine according to claim 7, wherein the controlmeans comprise a stop member interacting with an abutment.
 9. Themachine according to claim 8, wherein the stop member is arranged on ahousing of the machine.
 10. The machine according to claim 7, whereinthe control means are pivotable.
 11. The machine according to claim 1,wherein the bale-forming device comprises crossbars having ends securedon belts.
 12. The machine according to claim 1, wherein the first andsecond stationary deflection devices are stationary upper and lowerdeflection rollers within the winding chamber, wherein the lowerdeflection roller is arranged immediately adjacent a conveying elementof the crop collecting device.
 13. The machine according to claim 12,wherein the conveying element is arranged relative to the lowerdeflection roller such that the crop is transported from above onto thebale-forming device that is reversed at the lower deflection roller. 14.The machine according to claim 1, wherein the spatially determinedmovement path during the first bale-forming phase is guided on thestationary guides and sidewall sections of the machine such that abale-starting chamber is defined that is polygonal but circular inapproximation.
 15. The machine according to claim 14, wherein thebale-starting chamber is triangular, quadrangular or pentagonal.
 16. Themachine according to claim 14, wherein the stationary guides arearranged outside of the sidewall sections defining the bale-startingchamber.
 17. The machine according to claim 14, wherein the bale-formingdevice comprises crossbars having ends secured on belts, wherein thecrossbars have a length greater than a width of the bale-startingchamber between the sidewall sections.
 18. The machine according toclaim 1, further comprising measuring elements for measuring a baleparameter, wherein the measuring elements are activated when thebale-forming device begins the compression phase.
 19. The machineaccording to claim 1, comprising an overload protection device for adrive of the machine and a hydraulic pump configured to operateindependently of the overload protection device, wherein in an overloadsituation the hydraulic pump is adapted to open the winding chamber. 20.The machine according to claim 1, wherein the bale-forming device issupported on a yielding deflection roller that is loadable by a forcestorage device.